--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let me ask that question in a more…" description: "\"“Let me ask that question in a more pointed way: Why do we trust men who have sought and attained high office by innumerable acts of vanity and self-wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/barton-swaim-109692_colleague_let-me-ask-that-question-in-a-more-point_2539690.jpg" --- # Let me ask that question in a more pointed way: Why do we… ![“Let me ask that question in a more pointed way: Why do we trust men who have sought and attained high office by innumerable acts of vanity and self-will? When a work colleague makes a habit of insisting on his own competence and virtue, we may tolerate him, we may even admire his work, but his…” quote by Barton Swaim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/barton-swaim-109692_colleague_let-me-ask-that-question-in-a-more-point_2539690.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/barton-swaim-109692_colleague_let-me-ask-that-question-in-a-more-point_2539690.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/barton-swaim-109692_colleague_let-me-ask-that-question-in-a-more-point_2539690.jpg) > ““Let me ask that question in a more pointed way: Why do we trust men who have sought and attained high office by innumerable acts of vanity and self-will? When a work colleague makes a habit of insisting on his own competence and virtue, we may tolerate him, we may even admire his work, but his vanity is not an inducement to trust him. Why, then, do we trust the men who make careers of persuading us of their goodness and greatness, and who compete for our votes? Catherine”” [Barton Swaim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-swaim/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning trust in self‑appointed moral authorities, highlighting vanity and self‑interest as barriers. **In simple terms:** Beware of vanity in leaders. Key Takeaway Critically assess authority. Themes trust politics ethics Mood skeptical inquisitive Type Colleague Trust Trust Men Competence Virtue Insisting Competence Question Pointed:1 Trust:0 Trust Men:0 Competence Virtue:0 Insisting Competence:0 Question Pointed:0 When to use this quote - voting decisions - workplace dynamics - public discourse Key Concepts leadership critique moral scrutiny Questions to Reflect On - What makes a leader trustworthy? - How can we detect vanity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Colleague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colleague/) [Competence Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competence-virtue-1421077/) [Insisting Competence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insisting-competence-1421078/) [Question Pointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-pointed-1421079/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Trust Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-men-958727/) ## Related quotes > [We godless lack that certainty, and we know the world is a complex place that requires compromise and is not ruled by a moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pz-myers/we-godless-lack-that-certainty-and-we-know-the-world-is-a-complex/) [PZ Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pz-myers/) > [“To put your trust in men is to get yourself killed a little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/to-put-your-trust-in-men-is-to-get-yourself-killed-a-little/) [Louis-Ferdinand Céline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [When men give lines, women learn to not trust men. 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You don’t trust men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franca-storm/you-don-t-trust-me-i-don-t-trust-anyone-you-mean-men-you-don-t-trust/) [Franca Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franca-storm/) > [I mean I could not trust men again. I hated men. I hated humanity. How on earth can people sell each other?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/i-mean-i-could-not-trust-men-again-i-hated-men-i-hated-humanity-how/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [We was friends, we had it all. Reason you don't trust men, that was your daddy fault. He in the grave let it go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/we-was-friends-we-had-it-all-reason-you-don-t-trust-men-that-was-your/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [Don't ever trust men with good intentions. They'll always disappoint you." Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/don-t-ever-trust-men-with-good-intentions-they-ll-always-disappoint/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [I trust men only because I trust God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-trust-men-only-because-i-trust-god/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I don't trust men everybody likes. Being nice isn't the same as being good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/i-don-t-trust-men-everybody-likes-being-nice-isn-t-the-same-as-being/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [“What should I tell him? That I’ve just come out of a four year relationship with a bloke who persistently cheated on me? That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/what-should-i-tell-him-that-i-ve-just-come-out-of-a-four-year/) [Jodi Ellen Malpas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-ellen-malpas/) > [“I didn't trust men. I wanted to trust them because I knew there must be some good men in the world, but the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-weir/i-didn-t-trust-men-i-wanted-to-trust-them-because-i-knew-there-must/) [Theresa Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-weir/) > [“Men are appalling.. We never really grow up, well not on the inside. It's all just an act. Don't ever trust men, we're dreadful.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-alderson/men-are-appalling-we-never-really-grow-up-well-not-on-the-inside-it-s/) [Maggie Alderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-alderson/) > [“Josh didn't trust inanimates; not one bit; but he didn’t trust men either, nor did he trust the sea. The first could drive you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-vargas/josh-didn-t-trust-inanimates-not-one-bit-but-he-didn-t-trust-men/) [Fred Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-vargas/) ## More by Barton Swaim > [“Everybody complains that politics separates words from their meanings, and this is part of the reason why. Words are useful, but often their meanings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-swaim/everybody-complains-that-politics-separates-words-from-their-meanings/) [Barton Swaim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-swaim/) [Explore all 2 Barton Swaim quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-swaim/) ## More Colleague quotes > [What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate nor confederate will do, and partner is too legalistic. 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